I played fairly high-level competitive football growing up, but could never, ever juggle the ball. It’s a bit like that with MTBing. Even as a kid on my BMX, I could bunny hop and do pretty much everything else the other kids did, but I could not, for the life of me, do a wheelie.

Still can’t.

Am I the only one? Go on. Confess your lack of skills.

I’m terrible at bunny hops, wheelies, trackstands and manuals. I’m not entirely sure how I manage to ride at all 🙂

I blame not being bought a BMX as a kid and only being given hand-me-down racers.

There was this teenage guy on my street when I was about 8 who could ride all the way down it on a racer while pulling a wheelie. It was like he was on a unicycle.

I struggle to pedal and stay upright personnally.

Bunny hop’s et all, are things I just dream about and see in video’s… (well I can get the front wheel up over stuff, but the rear is more luck than judgement)

i can’t manual very well, I’m getting a lot better at trackstands though. I can’t ride on skinny stuff very well

I can manual well enough for everyday trial and DH but I’d love to be able to pull those long manuals down the road….

manuals and wheelies just seem to escape me 🙁

but hey I get round

Maybe I’m being harsh on my abilities. I can indeed bunnyhop trail obstacles, as long as they are no greater than kerb height, and manual, and trackstand, and wheelie, albeit briefly for the latter three.

Like saxon and jam bo said, I’d like to be able wheelie or manual down the street, clear higher obstacles with a perfectly executed bunny hop and track stand effortlessly for hours.

Unfortunately this takes practice and time, which I don’t always have time for and spend it pedalling and covering distance with my limited skills instead 🙂

Eat spaghetti bolognese without splattering clothes…

I’ve heard people talk about the wheelie “gene”! I could never do it, but with enough practice I learned.

I wish I could whistle loudly using my fingers. Then my life would be complete.

Drop offs.

I can jump without fear, and I know its exactly the same body movement, just with a flat takeoff, but I just can’t do it! Closest I’ve ever managed is to build a tiny takeoff (barely and inch high) with a few branches and a spadefull of dirt, then psycologicaly it seemed fine!

Closest I’ve ever managed is to build a tiny takeoff (barely and inch high) with a few branches and a spadefull of dirt, then psycologicaly it seemed fine

You must ‘drop off’ roots far bigger than that!

Bunny hop’s et all, are things I just dream about and see in video’s… (well I can get the front wheel up over stuff, but the rear is more luck than judgement)

+1

I can ‘get by’ well enough and manual/jump through/over stuff on the trail, and tend to be fairly quick by virtue of being fit, but lack any real skill! Must get around to sorting that!

Not verbalize random thoughts.
Ride sociably or for ‘fun’.

Wheelies. I can lift up the front wheel no problem its just keeping it there that escapes me. Im getting better at everythiing else but proper wheelies just don’t “take”

Wheelies also, and I’m never going to learn as long as I carry on riding in clips.

I always find it embarrassing when you’re out riding your expensive toy, when some 13 year old on a nackered Apollo (or the obligatory stolen Hardrock) wheelies past you the length of the road while simultaneously texting their dealer and eating a Greggs sausage roll

You must ‘drop off’ roots far bigger than that!

I didnt mean a 1″ drop, say a drop of a couple of feet, I’ll bottle it, add in a root/rock/transition about a foot away from the actual lip and I’ll happily pre-jump it though.

Think its a fear/comitment/controll thing, I’ll take off when I want to thankyouverymuch!

Either that or I have to accidentlay be on a line that comits you to a drop, given no way out I can do it. Similarly, there was a really easy drop at Warncliffe, that after about 10 attempts I was still rolling, mainly because it was barely a transition, so the little voice in the back of my head couldnt see the point/comit to effectively bunny hopping into the slope.

Can’t do any of the ‘skills’…..wheelie, manual, bunny hop, trackstand, drop offs…..

I can wobble about almost stationary, but I wouldn’t call it a trackstand but that’s about it.

I did a skills course a couple of years back and got quite confident at small drop offs 12-18″, but due to lack of exposure to them/practice I am back to wobbling off them.

I think my general balance is rubbish, so I find things like wheelies & trackstands difficult, and I always imagine some horrible outcome to a confidently executed drop off, so bottle it.

I’m terrible at bunny hops, wheelies, trackstands and manuals

same here 😳

Can’t use apostrophe’s correctly 😕

Spoon – can you ride off a curb?

I need to perfect manualling and pumping.
Manualling I’m rubbish at, pumping I’ve seen people who are better.

When I had a chopper I could wheelie all time.
I learnt to wheelie on my first MTB years ago, but unlike riding a bicycle wheelies you forget.

Never been good at drop offs but now I’m getting older I don’t think it’s time to learn. As a slightly younger friend who moved into downhilling when he hit 40 found out, you don’t bounce as well after 40 = several months in traction.

I blame not being bought a BMX as a kid and only being given hand-me-down racers.

Blame whatever you makes you feel better but I learnt to wheelie on a 21″ frame racer at 8yrs old (before BMX had taken off in the UK) and regularly used to wheelie the entire (mile ish) home from School.
it’s really not a difficult skill to learn (far easier than manualling or stood up wheelying) you simply need to find the balance point and hold it there through pedal force. it just takes trust, commitment and practice (slightly less pratice if you’re 8)
When starting out wheelying uphill is far easier as you rarely have to use the rear brake.

Njee – did you ever try slamming your saddle?

Thankfully I mastered all of these basic skills yea4s ago, I guess I must be ranked fairly highly when it comes to skillful mtbers. However, in terms of bmx riding (which is what I used to do a bit of) I’d be ranked as very middling to shite.

now I’m getting older I don’t think it’s time to learn. As a slightly younger friend who moved into downhilling when he hit 40 found out, you don’t bounce as well after 40

this is absolute rubbish. you don’t heal as quick as you get older but I still have great “crashing and getting away with it” skills and am still progressing in some aspects of my riding every year at 41. there are plenty similar 40+ riders around.

Spoon – can you ride off a curb?

Yep, and I can ride off 2-3ft drop offs, I just can’t seem to comit to them.

Turning fast left is harder for me than turning fast right. Dunno why. When I turn right it just feels spot on, outside foot down, inside bar weighted, body correct position, head forward, tyres bite in etc. Turn left and all composure is lost and it’s more fingers crossed than anything else.

Wheelies for me too. Really wish I’d learned them when I was young. That said, I only learned to trackstand about ten years ago (London and traffic lights help a lot), and bunny hop a couple of years ago, so there’s hope yet. I’m saving up for a session with jedi next year, but I think wheelying may be one of the least of the skills I’m lacking!

Turning fast left is harder for me than turning fast right. Dunno why

everone has a weaker cornering side, it’s because you are one foot biased. I can ride switch but am still right foot dominant.
You’ll also find most riders fall off way more to one side than the other.

The ones I require to do my job. It’s pretty bad really.

everone has a weaker cornering side, it’s because you are one foot biased. I can ride switch but am still right foot dominant.
You’ll also find most riders fall off way more to one side than the other.

I’m right handed, but ride left foor forewards, this only bothers me if I notice it (so on the run into a set of jumps). Out on the trail if I’m not thinking about it I’ll hapily ride right foot foreward.

I can quite happily fall off either way though!

your dominant riding foot is not necessarily the same side as your dominant hand.

Njee – did you ever try slamming your saddle?

No I’ve not, got an ISP on the Top Fuel, so can’t drop the saddle. I’d be interested to try it, but I don’t think the set up of my bike is contributing remotely to my crapness, as much as it’d be nice to blame it!

Turning fast left is harder for me than turning fast right. Dunno why

I’m better at turning right, but only really find it a problem at slow speeds, going fast I’m happier either way.

Left foot forward is regular, right foot forward is goofy and it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with being handed, although left handers do tend to be goofy.

Simple test, stand with your feet slightly apart looking forward, lean back until you have to put one foot back to brace yourself, inevitable you’ll be left leading with your left foot if your regular and vice versa.

Everyone is handed and most riding sports involve more practise on the switch stance.

You’ll also find most riders fall off way more to one side than the other.

Ah – perhaps this explains my very non-scientific observation. I’m left handed and lead right foot forward and tend to hit the deck on my right side. I’ve noticed following riders who lead left foot forward (most riders) that they tend to hit the deck on their left side. I was thinking this was just coincidence but perhaps not!

The ability to ride the Black at Llandegla is pretty much beyond me, or at least not without it becoming an absolutely terrifying experience.

There I’ve said it!

but I don’t think the set up of my bike is contributing remotely to my crapness

it’s not your set-up I’m suggesting you change, it’s simply to allow you to move freely around your bike unrestricted by your saddle to find what can be achieved by that. once you’ve learned how much more grip, pump, stability is on offer with it out the way it can all be carried over/transfered back to your full seat height riding (only more subtly).

like I said, everyone has a weaker side.

What’s an ISP? interupted seat tube? if so, get a cheap saddle and post and chop the post to under 200mm

Left foot forward is regular, right foot forward is goofy

Yeah, on a board it might be, but lets stick to bikes please 😉

I can’t do 720 degree frontflips on me mam’s Raleigh Shopper. 360’s are fine, but I can’t for the love of me nail the 720.